1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stencil printer and an information storage medium, and more particularly to a stencil printer provided with a stencil making position adjusting means for adjusting the stencil making position and an information storage medium in which software for controlling the stencil printer in adjusting the stencil making position is stored.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a stencil printer is required to make a stencil on the basis of not only an image signal read out from an original by an image scanner but also an image signal input from an external apparatus such as a personal computer. That is, as the image processing performance of a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer becomes better and as the use of the personal computer spreads, the stencil printer comes to be required to make a stencil on the basis of an image signal input from a personal computer and to make prints by the use of the stencil.
However, in conventional stencil printers, adjustment of the stencil making position is possible when the stencil is made on the basis of an image signal input from an image scanner (will be referred to as xe2x80x9can internal image signalxe2x80x9d, hereinbelow) but impossible when the stencil is made on the basis of an image signal input from an external apparatus (will be referred to as xe2x80x9can external image signalxe2x80x9d, hereinbelow) This is because the conventional stencil printers are not provided with a means for adjusting the making position of a stencil which is made on the basis of an external image signal.
Generally the image scanner is not replaced often. Accordingly, the means for adjusting the stencil making position in the conventional stencil printer is provided for the purpose of compensating for error in the stencil making position caused by difference between properties of scanners and/or stencil making apparatuses and the mounting error of the scanner and/or the stencil making apparatus, and accordingly, is not generally operated after it is once adjusted so that a proper stencil making position is obtained taking into account matching of the scanner and the stencil making apparatus.
That is, in order to adjust the stencil making position when prints are made on the basis of an external image signal in the conventional stencil printers, it is necessary to once make a stencil on the basis of the external image signal, make a trial print by the use of the stencil and correct the external image signal on the basis of the trial print by processing the external image signal by the external personal computer or the like. This is repeated until a desired stencil making position is obtained.
Thus, when prints are to be made on the basis of an external image signal in the conventional stencil printers, the operator must move back and forth between the stencil printer and the personal computer to adjust the stencil making position, which is very troublesome and requires a long time. Further, since many stencils must be made and the stencil material is consumed in vain, the printing cost is increased.
Further, there have been known stencil printers in which the stencil making position can be adjusted when a stencil is to be made on the basis of an internal image signal (an image signal read out from an original by the image scanner) and those the printing position on the printing paper can be adjusted by changing the position of the printing paper relative to the stencil on the printing drum. In such stencil printers, the stencil making position and/or the printing position when prints are to be made by the use of a stencil made on the basis of an external image signal can be adjusted by the use of means for adjusting the stencil making position and/or the means for adjusting the printing position when prints are to be made on the basis of the internal image signal.
However when the conventional means for adjusting the stencil making position and/or the printing position for the internal image signal are used for adjusting the stencil making position and/or the printing position for the external image signal, there arises a problem that the operator can confuse setting of the stencil making position (and printing position) for an external image signal with setting of the stencil making position (and printing position) for an internal image signal, which can result in deterioration in controllability for controlling the stencil making position and/or the printing position to a correct position.
Further, such confusion of the stencil making position setting can result-in a situation where a desired stencil making position cannot be obtained irrespective of the operator""s intent to set the stencil making position to a correct position and the stencil must be repeatedly remade, which deteriorates printing throughput and adds to printing cost, whereby properties of the stencil printer that a middle to large amount of copies can be obtained in a short time at low cost cannot be sufficiently realized.
For example, when an operator adjusts the stencil making position and/or the printing position before making prints on the basis of an external image signal and then another operator makes prints on the basis of an internal image signal without recognizing that the stencil making position and/or the printing position has been set to conform to the external input mode (a mode in which prints are made on the basis of the external image signal), the stencil making position and/or the printing position deviates from the correct position, which results waste of the stencil material and/or the printing papers.
Especially since the stencil making cost including the material cost and the time cost shares a major part of the printing cost, it is greatly desired to suppress waste of the stencil material to lower the printing cost. Thus, overcoming the aforesaid problems involved by adjustment of the stencil making position is very important to prevent waste of the stencil material.
Further, though displacement of the printing position due to displacement of the stencil making position can be corrected by the use of the printing position adjustment function of a conventional stencil printer, the approach is only a temporary solution of the problem and not a basic solution. Further, when another operator uses the stencil printer without knowing that the printing position has been changed from the regular position, the printing position in the obtained copies can deviate from the regular position even if the stencil for the original is made in the correct position. Accordingly, it is necessary to control the stencil making position itself when prints are to be made on the basis of an external image signal.
Further, since the stencil printers are often used by unskilled users due to its inherency, the stencil printers are desired to be arranged so that the steps from the step of adjusting the stencil making position to the step of printing can be easily and correctly effected without confusion of the input modes and without causing a wrong operation of the printer due to the confusion of the input modes even if the stencil printer is used by an unskilled user.
In view of the foregoing observations and description, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a stencil printer in which stencil making position adjustment for adjusting the stencil making position for a stencil to be made on the basis of an internal image signal and that for adjusting the stencil making position for a stencil to be made on the basis of an external image signal can be effected clearly separated from each other without confusion and as a result, waste of the stencil material and the printing paper can be suppressed, whereby the aforesaid properties inherent to the stencil printer that a middle to large amount of copies can be obtained in a short time at low cost can be sufficiently realized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an information storage medium in which software for controlling the stencil printer so that the aforesaid primary object is accomplished is stored.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stencil printer comprising a stencil making means which makes a stencil by imagewise perforating a stencil material in a controlled position thereon on the basis of an image signal, a printing means which makes prints by the use of the stencil made by the stencil making means and a control means which controls the stencil making means and the printing means, wherein the improvement comprises that
the control means is provided with
a first stencil making position control means adapted to control of the stencil making position when a stencil is to be made on the basis of an internal image signal optically read out from an original,
a second stencil making position control means adapted to control of the stencil making position when a stencil is to be made on the basis of an external image signal input through a path different from the path along which the internal image signal is input, and
a selector means which selectively makes active one of the first and second stencil making position control means.
The selector means may be manually operated to make active one of the first and second stencil making position control means or may be automatically operated to make active one of the first and second stencil making position control means according to whether the image signal input into the control means is an internal image signal or an external image signal.
That is, when the stencil is to be made on the basis of an image signal read out from an original (this will be referred to as xe2x80x9ca scanner input modexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9can internal input modexe2x80x9d, hereinbelow), the selector means is operated to make active the first stencil making position control means and the first stencil making position control means controls the stencil making position, and when the stencil is to be made on the basis of an image signal input from an external device such as a personal computer (this will be referred to as xe2x80x9can external input modexe2x80x9d, hereinbelow), the selector means is operated to make active the second stencil making position control means and the second stencil making position control means controls the stencil making position. Accordingly, the stencil can be correctly made and satisfactory prints can be obtained without confusion.
It is preferred that the control means is further provided with a first display means which displays information on the stencil making position set by the first stencil making position control means, a second display means which displays information on the stencil making position set by the second stencil making position control means, a first operational means for inputting information for controlling the first stencil making position control means in controlling the stencil making position, a second operational means for inputting information for controlling the second stencil making position control means in controlling the stencil making position, and a switching means which makes active the first display means and the first operational means when the selector means makes active the first stencil making position control means, and makes active the second display means and the second operational means when the selector means makes active the second stencil making position control means.
That is, when the first stencil making position control means operates, the information on the stencil making position set by the first stencil making position control means is displayed by the first display means and information for controlling the first stencil making position control means in controlling the stencil making position can be input only through the first operational means. Similarly, when the second stencil making position control means operates, the information on the stencil making position set by the second stencil making position control means is displayed by the second display means and information for controlling the second stencil making position control means in controlling the stencil making position can be input only through the second operational means. Accordingly, the operator can clearly know which of the internal input mode and the external input mode the stencil printer is operating.
Though it is preferred that the first and second display means and the first and second operational means are all provided, a part of them may be omitted. For example, the first and second display means may be omitted so that the stencil making position controlled by the first or second stencil making position control means can be changed, though how the stencil making position is changed is not displayed. Further, the first display means and the first operational means may be omitted. In this case, the stencil making position for the internal input mode is fixed whereas the stencil making position for the external input mode is variable.
It is preferred that the control means be further provided with a first operational information holding means which holds the information for controlling the first stencil making position control means in controlling the stencil making position until different information is input and/or a second operational information holding means which holds the information for controlling the second stencil making position control means in controlling the stencil making position until different information is input.
That is, the stencil making position set last can be held until otherwise set for each input mode. Accordingly, handling of the stencil printer is further facilitated and mistake in making a stencil can be more suppressed. Only one of the first and second operational information holding means may be provided taking into account the degree of necessity.
The first and second display means may be formed by a single display device. In this case, the switching means causes the display device to display a frame corresponding to the first display means when the selector means makes active the first stencil making position control means and to display a frame corresponding to the second display means when the selector means makes active the second stencil making position control means. Further, in this case, the first and second operational means may be formed by a single input interface which functions as the first operational means when the frame corresponding to the first display means is displayed by the single display device and functions as the second operational means when the frame corresponding to the second display means is displayed by the single display device.
With this arrangement, the first and second display means can be formed by a single display panel and the first and second operational means can be formed by a single control panel, whereby the stencil printer can be simple in hardware. The switching means may be either manually operated or automatically operated according to the input mode.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information storage medium storing therein software for controlling a stencil printer comprising a stencil making means which imagewise perforates a stencil material according to an image signal input thereinto and makes a stencil, an image read-out means which reads an image on an original and obtains an internal image signal representing the image on the original, a data selector means which selectively inputs into the stencil making means an internal image signal output from the image read-out means or an external image signal input into the stencil printer along a path different from the internal image signal, a stencil making position control means which adjusts the position of the stencil on the stencil material made by the stencil making means, a printing means which makes prints by the use of the stencil, a display means which displays information on the stencil making position adjusted by the stencil making position control means, an operational means for inputting information for controlling the stencil making position control means in adjusting the stencil making position, and a control means which controls the stencil making means and the stencil making position control means, said software representing procedure of control which is to be executed by the control means and characterized in that
the control means switches the stencil making position control means between a first mode in which it functions as a first stencil making position control means adapted to control of the stencil making position when a stencil is to be made on the basis of an internal image signal optically read out from an original, and a second mode in which it functions as a second stencil making position control means adapted to control of the stencil making position when a stencil is to be made on the basis of an external image signal input through a path different from the path along which the internal image signal is input, and switches the display means between a first mode in which it functions as a first display means which displays information on the stencil making position set by the first stencil making position control means and a second mode in which it functions as a second display means which displays information on the stencil making position set by the second stencil making position control means.
That is, in a stencil printer in which its hardware including the stencil making means, the stencil making position control means, the printing means, the display means, the operational means and the like is controlled by a control means such as a CPU, the second stencil making position control means, the second display means, the second operational means and the like are incorporated as software by simply changing the ROM in which the software concerning the procedure of control is stored. Thus, by simply replacing the ROM, conventional microcomputer-controlled stencil printer can be modified to a stencil printer of the present invention.
The information storage medium in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention can be manufactured, used, copied and installed in a control means of another stencil printer.